Social Challenges Facing Included Students with Visual Impairments and Physical Disabilities at Kenyatta University, Kenya

Abstract

Kenyatta University has the highest population of university students with disabilities (SWO) in Kenya and has been admitting SWO for more than 20 years. The purpose of this study was to analyze the social challenges facing included students with visual impairments (SWVI) and students with physical disabilities (SWPO) at Kenyatta University. The case study design was used to enable indepth exploration of the research unit. The target population was the approximately 20, 000 students without disabilities (SWOD) and 80 SWD in the undergraduate regular program at Kenyatta University, and the university administrators. Convenience sampling, random sampling and snowballing were used to select a sample size of 60 students (30 with disabilities and 30 without). Purposive sampling was used to select three university administrators. Questionnaires and an interview guide were used to collect the data. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, while that from the interviews were analyzed qualitatively. It was established that Kenyatta University had made significant effort to foster the social participation of SWO. To some extent, there were considerable positive interactions between SWVIISWPO and SWOO. Besides, the student's gender partly affected their social interactions. Nevertheless, more initiatives to foster social participation were needed, like sensitization on disability, increase of investment on projects for SWO, and more aggressiveness on the part of SWO. The collected data put into focus the role of Kenyatta University in facilitating social inclusion of SWO. Moreover, the information gathered could assist Kenyatta University in developing, implementing and evaluating its inclusive program, which could result in admission of more SWO in the institution.